Midnight Run
by nokhnia
Summary: Vampire!Regina/Evil!Red. Ruby's out on a jog when she runs into the mayor. Turns out they have more in common than either one expects—but this town may not be big enough for both of them. Campy vampy RedQueen crack, written for RedQueen Week's AU Day. No curse/magic besides the supernatural stuff. Language and violence. Oneshot. Happy Halloween :)


**A/N: Kinda twisted but nothing too gory. IDK, I just love evil!Red. **

* * *

><p>Ruby's well-worn sneakers pounded on the rain-soaked pavement, keeping time with the music that came through her earbuds. She never skipped her midnight run. Not even the days she worked late. Not even when it was cold. This ritual was the only thing that kept her semi-sane, the only time she could truly be herself—not the hassled waitress or the girl with the bad reputation, but a long-toothed wolf in a person suit that was coming apart at the seams. She <em>needed<em> this cool, dark quiet and time and space to burn off her energy. With the moon getting fuller every day this week, it was harder than ever to concentrate on being normal.

Not that 'normal'was something to strive for, she thought. No, fuck that. Ruby had already wasted way too much time as it was wishing she were normal, and all it'd gotten her was a pointless inferiority complex and a dead boyfriend. She'd gotten over both by now, and life had never been better. She was finally free.

But, still. A girl had to be discreet. You _could _get caught if you weren't careful. She'd seen that for herself. And so Ruby ran, hard and fast, hoping this hour of indulgence tonight would hold her over for a full day of restraint once the sun rose.

Ruby followed the wooded path around the park until she'd reached the dark stretch of the covered bridge that crossed the river. Her footsteps echoed as she began to cross. She'd thought she'd had trail to herself tonight. She'd been relishing that. But here, of all places, in the darkest, coldest stretch, there was a couple making out. Ruby curled her lip.

_Stupid kids, _she muttered to herself. Didn't they have anywhere better to be? She blasted her music louder, trying to ignore the crawling in her skin and teeth. Clearly they'd never seen a horror movie. The horny ones always died fir—

Hold on a second. Ruby slowed her pace. Sampled the air.

…Was that _blood?_

She took a closer look at the couple, two women, it looked like, so lost in the shadows even Ruby had trouble seeing them clearly. But after a second glance she was sure of it. The woman who'd pinned the other to the wall wasn't just kissing the smaller woman's neck—she was giving her a hickey so deep she'd actually broken the skin.

And, she was drinking the blood.

Ruby slowed to a walk.

What the actual fuck.

_Whatever. So they're into the vampire thing. Just hurry up and get out of here before they find out about the werewolf thing, too._

But Ruby couldn't look away. The first woman wasn't limiting herself to playful little sips; she was taking long, greedy pulls, making the second woman shudder with every swallow.

_Holy shit._

_Maybe she's not pretending._

_Maybe I should, like, do something._

Ruby stopped and pulled her earbuds out with a dull pop but made no further move. She'd never seen a real vampire before. It was stupid, she knew, that she was having trouble believing in them now when she wasn't even human herself, but that's how it was anyway. She was frozen with shock.

And then, slowly, the shock faded into curiosity…and that curiosity warmed into a kind of craftsman's admiration. Because, somehow, even though she was dying by the mouthful, the second woman had that look of pure pleasure on her face. She whimpered softly, barely standing, her hands holding onto the other woman as if for dear life. Ruby started to wonder if she'd_ever_ made a girl go to pieces like that. And certainly no one she'd killed had ever been happy about it. The wolf was a butcher, and a pretty fucking good one, but this…this was art.

_Damn. She's good._

Ruby licked her lips.

But then the smaller woman slipped out of consciousness, and Ruby came to her senses. _No_. This was murder. She was watching a murder. And she might've turned a blind eye to it—obviously she was no one to judge—except that it was happening on her turf. Rule number one about werewolfing: you don't shit where you eat. Or rather, you don't eat where you live. Ruby always took a long drive before her wolfstime for that exact reason. She'd had a couple moments of weakness in the long weeks between, but for the most part, she'd left her neighbors alone. Partly because she actually liked a few of them, but mostly because she didn't want to draw any attention to herself. Her mother had drawn a lot of attention to herself back when Ruby was a little girl, and now she was some slayer's throw rug and Ruby was living with her grandmother in a remote town in Maine. These things escalated quickly.

The vamp had to go.

Fists curled, Ruby strong-walked over to the couple, grabbed the first woman roughly by the shoulder, and pulled her away from the wall. The other, just a girl really, probably a year or two younger than Ruby herself, slumped to the ground, still blacked out.

"Whatever the hell you're doing, stop," Ruby growled.

The woman let out a low hiss, her eyes flashing red, and Ruby flinched despite herself. Any lingering doubt she'd had about this woman's human status evaporated. She shrugged off Ruby's grip and fixed her with her full attention.

"You should've kept walking," she said in a low voice. Ruby's stomach crawled at the sound of it, low and warm like thick, dark honey. This woman wasn't some vapid teenager or co-ed. Her face, sharply beautiful, youthful but refined, held a calm expression that was beyond mature. It was elegant, _ageless_.

And hot as fuck.

_Fuck. _

"Uh—"

"What's your name, dear? You look so familiar, but I can't seem to place you."

"Ruby Lucas," Ruby found herself saying. _Shut up! Tell her where you live next, why don't you?_

_Yes, and then bring her home_—

"Ruby Lucas," the woman repeated richly, drawing a light finger down the curve of Ruby's neck. "Yes, I remember you now. "Granny's" girl. I don't dine out often, but yours is a difficult face to forget. I'm Mayor Mills, by the way—Regina, to my colleagues. You ought to recognize me, but I can see that you don't."

Well, Ruby hadn't ever paid any more attention than was absolutely necessary when it came to politics, that was true, and she was having a hard time paying attention to much of anything right now, the way her wolf was howling for release in her chest. The beast didn't just make her hungry; it amplified all her animal appetites. She knew she should be concerned by how Mayor Mills was closing what little distance was between them, by the way she was appraising her throat, but all Ruby wanted to do right then was pin _her _up against the wall and taste those full and bloodstained lips—

"…Anyway, Ruby," Mayor Mills was saying, "I want _you_ to forget what you've seen here tonight. You seem unduly upset, but I assure you there's nothing to be concerned about. It will all be better in the morning."

Ruby forced her mouth to work. "Were you going to kill her?"

Mayor Mills laughed a little, exposing elegant fangs. "I try not to make a habit of killing my constituents, no. This young woman, who was so conveniently intoxicated anyway, and who so responsibly chose to walk home rather than drive, will simply wake up in the morning with what she will assume to be the world's worst hangover. As far as our little encounter goes, I've ensured she won't remember a thing." Her eyes flashed up then, meeting Ruby's. "And neither will you."

Ruby scowled. "What—"

And then, before she could get another word out, the woman pressed her lips up against hers—not roughly, but with undeniable authority. Ruby responded immediately, before she could even think, growling and pulling her closer.

_What the hell are you doing? Can we just take a moment to address the situation? Because you're going to get yourself killed._

But the wolf had taken over now, and the wolf didn't listen to reason. Ruby forced the other woman's mouth open wider, running her tongue along those too-sharp teeth, licking the still-sweet blood off her lips, biting, probably too much and too hard. Warm. Mayor Mills was warm. That was surprising. Ruby started to walk them back towards the rough wooden wall of the covered bridge.

The other woman grinned—Ruby's eyes were closed, but she felt it—and, with one fluid movement, she spun them around. Ruby's back hit the damp wood with more force than she would've expected. Her hackles flared. She didn't like being submissive. But a second later the other woman's lips were on her again, and she forgot her anger. It'd been far too long since she'd felt like this. Anyone else she got close to came away bleeding; she'd eventually just learned to keep her distance. But Mayor Mills seemed carved of living stone, indifferent to Ruby's fangs and claws. Her own hands wandered freely over Ruby's skin—first, up her shirt, then, up her thigh. Higher, higher—

Ruby sucked in a sharp intake of breath.

_Holy shit. No wonder the other girl looked so happy._

And then she felt the teeth at her pulse point. Just a sharp prick at first, one that then swelled to considerable pain. A wave of dizziness slammed into her as Mayor Mills took her first draught, her elegant throat rippling as she drank. Ruby's vision swam; her knees buckled.

_No—snap out of it—**snap out of it**—_

Ruby snarled and shoved the mayor away, then gathered up her by the collar and forced her to the ground. She pinned her there, knees straddling her ribs, hands at her throat, and bared her own teeth to the root.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded. The bite had already healed—a wolf perk—but the pain grew more acute by the second.

Mayor Mills looked genuinely startled for the first time. She licked her lips, savoring the last of Ruby's blood.

"I might ask you the same question, dear."

Ruby clenched her jaw, struggling to keep the wolf from coming out in full. It would tear this woman apart.

"There—is nothing—wrong—with me."

"I know the taste of human blood," she countered, slowly regaining her cool composure. "And yours is nothing like it."

Ruby let out a long breath, steadying herself. "So, what, you're you a vampire?"

"Come on, now, you know the answer to that."

"Why aren't you cold and pale and shit?"

"Well, that would be the point of the blood-drinking, now wouldn't it?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "Fine. Whatever. But you can't attack people here. I won't let you."

"You won't _let _me." She smiled indulgently. "That's a precious thought. I admit your strength surprises me, Ruby, but I've dealt with bigger and badder than you."

_I doubt that._

"Maybe I don't have to fight you," Ruby said. "Maybe I'll just go tell someone I saw you with that girl. Maybe I'll tell them you came on to me. Not very responsible of you, _Mayor_."

Her smile reversed sharply. "Don't be absurd. The seduction is an act of mercy, surely you can see that. Dulls the fear, hides the pain. I take my work quite seriously. Besides, I'm sure you don't want to draw that kind of attention to yourself anyway—might be you have a few skeletons in your closet, too. Or am I wrong?"

Ruby didn't trust herself to answer that.

"I've been doing this for a long time, dear," Mayor Mills went on. "I can make people forget things that have happened and remember things that haven't. I decide who knows what in this town, and there's not much I don't know myself. This is _my_territory, and I intend to hold it. So don't think you can threaten me."

And she shoved Ruby off her, standing up and smoothing out her expensive jacket. Ruby climbed to her own feet warily. Maybe she _was _out of her depth here. This woman would be a bad enemy to have.

But, maybe, a perfect ally.

"I've never met anyone like me before," Ruby admitted slowly. Her mother, of course, but she was a dim memory. Her father, she had never known.

"Like you, how, exactly?"

Ruby shrugged and gestured all around. "Like me, as in, not like them." She paused. "I'm a werewolf."

Mayor Mills' mouth curved up in a half-smile. "That explains the delicious musk."

"You can't tell anyone, though. I've been…careful."

"Don't worry, dear, your secret's safe with me. If I ever want you gone I'll deal with you myself." A chill raked up Ruby's arms. She resented the easy arrogance, but she couldn't pretend it didn't have an effect on her. Mayor Mills tilted her head curiously. "Though, it would almost seem a crime to lose you. Would you believe I've never actually met one of your kind before? I was beginning to think you'd all died out."

Ruby shrugged. "I've never met any, either."

"Do your parents know about you?"

"My parents are dead."

"Did you kill them?"

Ruby flinched. "No."

"But you _have _killed before, yes?"

Okay, no, she wasn't playing the confession game. Not even with another murderer. It was too dangerous. Ruby felt around for her headphones. "Actually, Mayor, if you don't mind, I'm going to finish this run. But maybe we can, like, schedule a brunch or someth—"

Mayor Mills caught her by the wrist and pulled her back. "Oh, don't act coy, Miss Lucas. I know you've done it. I could feel it in your kiss. Such a cruel and hungry thing. Be a good girl and answer my questions, will you? I need to know how you've managed to hide from me so long."

Ruby's skin crackled at the contact, a surge of butterflies swirling in her stomach. Her wolf stirred again. _No! _This woman was trouble. Ruby didn't want to give into her again. The horny ones always died first. _The horny ones always died first._

Mayor Mills' grip fell away, leaving Ruby's arm cold.

"The first person I killed was my father," she said when Ruby didn't answer. "He was a weak man, but I loved him more than anything. Such blood is the strongest. That was my goal at the time—power. Freedom. When I grew up, a woman didn't have much say in how she lived her life." Her soft smile flickered. "Or who she spent it with."

Ruby felt some of the tension run out of her shoulders as she dropped her guard. Mayor Mills had sounded…almost human, just then. Ruby swallowed.

"Do you ever regret it?"

Mayor Mills laughed hollowly. Ruby felt it in her bones. She was taken aback by the reversal, by the woman's sudden, stark remorselessness.

A part of her envied it, too.

"Of course, that was all ages ago," the mayor continued eventually. "You can see I'm somewhat retired now. But _you_—" She ran a light finger up Ruby's breastbone and tapped her on the nose. Ruby growled. "You are clearly just getting started. I see such potential. You should let me teach you, Ruby Lucas. I will _refine _you."

Well, that certainly sounded better than any of the actual classes she'd ever taken. Ruby ran her tongue over her teeth nervously.

"I'm not a _total _amateur," she began, wondering if that was already admitting too much. But by now Mayor Mills had told her enough to give her some leverage, and anyway, there was a part of her that had always longed to share these victories. "I've been able to avoid attention because I hunt in a different town every month. Hunters, mostly. I'm sure you see the irony. I used to bury the bones, but it's actually less suspicious if you don't. Reminds people that they're looking for animal, not a person."

Mayor Mills arched an eyebrow. "Clever pup. So who was _your_first, if I may ask?"

"My boyfriend," Ruby said. Her heart tugged, but it was a phantom pain. "Peter."

"And? The story?"

She shrugged. "There really isn't one. It was a full moon. Peter came over. I ate him. The end." She shrugged again. "I don't even really remember it. Back when I tried to stop myself from turning, I could never control the wolf. Now we're on the same page. I don't fight it anymore."

"Let me guess," said the mayor. "Your lover's death made you finally realize the futility of compassion against the unfeeling chaos of madness and mortality."

"No," Ruby said bluntly. "I just really liked the taste."

Mayor Mills stood up a little straighter at that, appraising Ruby with renewed interest. Ruby's grin faded, and her face grew warm. She felt an all-too-familiar pull.

"Ah, listen—Mayor—"

"Regina. Please. You are…almost certainly a colleague."

Ruby stifled a surge of satisfaction. "Well, Regina, if you were serious about…working together, I'd definitely be open to that. The lone wolf thing can get kind of…"

"Lonely?" Regina watched her with a sharp, knowing smile, her eyes flashing wine-red in the moonlight. _Oh, God. _"Well, we wouldn't want that."

Ruby held her gaze, trying to read behind her implacable expression. Was this still an act of mercy? Was she toying with her? Regina's face betrayed nothing, her words, nothing; but the tilt of her hips, the impatient twitch of her fingers…_Fuck it, _Ruby decided. She closed the distance between them, slipping a hand around Regina's waist—

"Not so fast," Regina chuckled, placing a hand on her chest. Their lips were a breath apart. "I need to see you do it first."

Ruby swallowed her impatience. "Do what? Turn?" She wasn't going to be anyone's well-trained pet.

"No." Regina brushed a stray lock of Ruby's hair away. "Kill."

_Oh, God. _Ruby thought again. _Oh, hell, I'm in trouble. _Desperate, she tried to kiss her instead, to pull her closer, but the hand had returned. Ruby bit her lip. "Why?"

"So I know you're committed. So I don't waste my time. Think of it as collateral. You've seen my demonstration. Let's see yours."

"Ah…I don't know…" Ruby fought against the very hunger she'd come out here to escape, now sharper than ever at the sudden temptation. "Usually I only hunt during the full moon since I have to turn anyway."

"But you crave it always, don't you?" Regina said softly.

_Every damn day._

"I tell you what," Regina went on, not waiting for her response. "I won't even ask you to go hunting. You just finish off our friend over there, and I'll consider it done."

Ruby glanced back at the still-conked-out party girl and laughed with disbelief. "What, after all she's already been through? That seems…a little heartless."

"Well," Regina said, draping her arms around Ruby's shoulders. "Speaking as someone who's quite literally heartless, I can assure you it's much better this way. No uncertainty. No regret. Just…instinct." And she leaned in and kissed her.

"_Mmm_," Ruby whimpered. Hands trembling. Her mouth moved to Regina's neck, her collarbone, her shoulder. Searching for a pulse, finding none—

Then Regina pushed her away for the third and final time.

_Damn it!_

"The night's getting away from us, dear."

Ruby licked her lips nervously. "You'll make sure it won't come back to me?"

"I don't see why it should. Everyone knows how close we are to the woods up here—to the wildlife. Accidents are bound to happen."

_Yes…_

"And she's totally out cold, right?" Ruby went on. "Won't feel a thing?" Usually she wouldn't give a shit, but she felt the need to at least ask.

"Well," said Regina, "I imagine that's rather up to you."

_Yes…yes…_

Ruby realized that she had already decided. She was just trying to talk herself out of it so she could tell herself she'd resisted later. Guilt was a difficult habit to shake, even now. She couldn't help but think about her grandmother, who would've been destroyed if she ever found out how far she'd fallen. Or her friends, who weren't much older than this girl.

And Peter—God—

_No, _she growled finally. _Not that argument. Not again, not anymore. The only reason he's dead is because you couldn't accept what you were. So accept it. You're a monster. Be a monster. Do it _right_. _

Because better this stranger than someone Ruby actually cared about. No more accidents. No more guilt.

She turned to Regina, who raised an expectant eyebrow.

"So?"

"Just warning you now," Ruby told her in a low voice. "It won't be pretty."

Regina scoffed. "_Pretty. _Of course not. To say so would be an insult. Is a wildfire _pretty_? A thunderstorm? You are a force of nature, Ruby. It will be beautiful."

And with that she turned Ruby around by the shoulders and pushed her gently towards her quarry.

Ruby's heart beat wild in her chest. Her wolf was going insane, making her vision swim. She stalked over to the edge of the bridge with slow, steady steps, clinging to her thin control._Beautiful_, she thought. _Make it art_.

Of course, knowing her, she would probably just make a mess.

Ruby stopped and crouched down next to the young girl. She_was _still awake, just barely, eyelids fluttering at the sound of approaching footsteps. Ruby could just hear the ghost of a whisper on her lips. Well, that was unfortunate, but Regina was right. Ruby could make this painless if she wanted to. Taking a page from the mayor's book, she wrapped her fingers around the back of the girl's neck and began to kiss her gently along her jawline.

"…what…" the girl breathed.

"_Shhhh_," Ruby whispered. Teeth lengthening. Her mouth moved to the girl's neck, her collarbone, her shoulder. Teasing the life out of her, swallowing it whole. A shiver ran underneath Ruby's skin. _God_, this was good. _This_ was what she was born to do. Paint. Carve. She rent the girl's shirt open with nails grown sharp and pulled apart the nest of bones around her heart.

Ruby hadn't meant to turn. She'd been enjoying doing this with her human hands for a change. So much more dexterous, so much better at the detail work. But her wolf had been howling inside her for far too long tonight, and finally it overwhelmed her. Ruby shuddered and relaxed into her other form, shredding her human clothes_. _

_I should stop, _she thought after a moment. Surely she'd proven herself enough; Regina didn't need or want to see this. But to Ruby's surprise, the other woman came closer and crouched down next to her, running a possessive hand through her fur. Rubbing her shoulders. Scratching her head. _Oh, hell_. This was distracting. This was almost too much. Ruby let out a low growl, torn between the desire to finish her meal and the desire to return Regina's attention.

Finally she gave in to the latter, rounding and pinning Regina to the ground for the second time that night, but now with heavy paws instead of hands. Her tail swished slowly. Her ears lied flat. The mayor didn't look afraid this time. If anything, she looked a little hungry herself, lips parted just so, eyes bright with anticipation. Ruby shuddered and changed back. The cool, damp air whistled over her bare but bloodied skin. She flashed a humorless smile with teeth still sharp and red with murder.

"You still think I'm beautiful?" she said quietly.

Regina pulled her close and kissed her until she was clean.


End file.
